The Bulldogs will face another Alabaman institution this week after Georgia’s flawless season was ended last week by a 41-34 loss to the Crimson Tide at the University of Alabama.
This Saturday, Georgia will host Auburn. The Bulldogs have a fantastic opportunity to win back in the record book because they are playing the Tigers, a team that has struggled lately and has dropped two straight games.
This Week, Georgia Will Lose a Star Player.
Georgia still has one of the greatest defenses in the nation, despite their recent 41-point loss to Alabama. However, this week they will be without one of their finest players on that side of the ball.
Matt Zenitz reports that “this week’s game against Auburn will see Georgia without star linebacker Smael Mondon.” This week’s absence is already noted on the Bulldogs’ availability report.
This week’s game against Auburn will see Georgia without star linebacker Smael Mondon.
This week’s absence is already noted on the Bulldogs’ availability report.
Georgia will be without standout linebacker Smael Mondon vs. Auburn this week.
Already listed as out for this week on the Bulldogs’ availability report. pic.twitter.com/Udh9ag81pN
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) October 3, 2024
Since Mondon is one of the best defensive players and has racked up 17 tackles this season, it will be crucial for the other defenders to step up and potentially create problems for Auburn’s quarterback, Payton Thorne, who has struggled to turn the ball over.
In two weeks, the Bulldogs will need Mondon back because they are going on the road to play Texas, one of the greatest teams in the nation, in a game that might determine a berth in the SEC championship.
College football predictions: After losing to Alabama, Georgia hopes to get off to a quicker start against Auburn.
For two of the best teams in the Southeastern Conference, this is their week to recover.
No. 5 Georgia, coming off a 41-34 loss at Alabama, hosts an Auburn club that will be playing its first road game. The Bulldogs have won 26 straight in Athens for the nation’s longest active home streak.
The Bulldogs hope for a more favorable beginning. They were shut out until late in the second quarter against Kentucky, and they were trailing 28-0 against Alabama when they scored their first touchdown. They needed until the third quarter to score against Clemson in the first game.
12. After losing to Kentucky 20–17 at home, Mississippi faces a challenging matchup against South Carolina. Recall that in Week 2, the Gamecocks defeated Kentucky 31-6 on the road.
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin referred to the Gamecocks’ 36-33 defeat to LSU as a “really hard place to play,” adding, “going on the road here to South Carolina with a team really good, that really easily is one penalty away from being undefeated and probably ranked really high.”
Only No. 9 vs. No. 25 Texas A&M matches up with teams in the Top 25.
No. 1 Alabama at Vanderbilt (minus 23 1/2)
Since 1985, Alabama has defeated Vandy 23 times in a row, and during the previous three encounters, the Crimson Tide outscored the Commodores 148-3. Without a doubt, Kalen DeBoer will remind his team of how Vandy tested the limits two weeks ago against a top-10 Missouri squad.
Pick: 45-17 Alabama.
Iowa (plus 19 1/2) vs. Ohio State, ranked third
The Buckeyes are yet to be put to the test. Is this the week? The emergence of RB Kaleb Johnson alone has improved Iowa’s offense from a year ago. In the country, his 171 yards per game rank second.
Pick: 35-21 Ohio State.
No. 4 Tennessee at Arkansas (minus 13 1/2)
The Volunteers haven’t triumphed in Fayetteville since 2001, and the teams haven’t played since 2020. Dylan Sampson, Nico Iamaleava, and the other playmakers for the Vols are prepared to step up their 54-point-per-game attack.
Tennessee 37–20 is the pick.
No. 5 Georgia at Auburn (minus 24 1/2)
Over the past 20 years, Georgia has mostly benefited from the “Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.” Both sides have just suffered difficult defeats. Georgia shouldn’t need to win if they continue to play like they did in the second half against Alabama.
Georgia 44–17 is the pick.
Oregon (minus 24) at No. 6 with Michigan State
Before Friday’s game, Dillon Gabriel was averaging just under 300 yards per game and was completing more over 81% of his throws. Since 2016, the Ducks have not suffered a home loss against an unranked opponent. The Spartans have a seven-game losing streak while playing top-10 opponents.
Oregon 42-14 is the pick.
UCLA (+28) vs. Penn State (#7)
After allowing its ground game control the tempo against Illinois, Penn State ought to be able to ramp up its offensive a little bit. Against a defense that only has five sacks and allows opponents to complete 71% of their passes for 291 yards a game, Drew Allar could put up monster numbers.
Pick: 42-16 for Penn State.
No. 8 Miami (minus 10 1/2) at California
For the Hurricanes’ first regular-season game on the West Coast since 2000, Cam Ward puts his show on the road. Against Florida State, Cal was unable to score a touchdown, and Miami’s defense is much stronger.
Selection: Miami 37–10.
No. 25 Texas A&M vs. No. 9 Missouri (plus two and a half).
The Tigers must perform better than they did against Vanderbilt and Boston College. Substitute quarterback Marcel Reed has guided the Aggies to three straight victories in lieu of injured starter Conner Weigman, who will be evaluated at the game.
Pick: 27–23 for Missouri.
Washington’s No. 10 Michigan (plus two and a half)
The Wolverines make their first road trip and welcome back injured wide out Will Johnson. Alex Orji will be defeated by the Huskies because they will load the box. For the second straight game, he has passed for less than 100 yards.
Selection: Washington 21–20.
No. 11 Southern California at Minnesota (minus eight and a half)
The Trojans hope to replicate their 28-0 second-half outburst against Wisconsin last week. The Gophers could end up with their worst Big Ten start since 2018.
Select: USC 33-17.
No. 12 Mississippi at South Carolina (minus 9 1/2).
The plot of Mississippi wide receiver Juice Wells’ return to South Carolina is excellent. In 2022, he played a heroic role in the Gamecocks’ victory over rival Clemson. It was a rocky split when he transferred to Ole Miss in the offseason.
Mississippi 31–21 is the pick.
No. 15 Clemson at Florida State (minus 14 1/2)
Clemson has scored 165 points in its last three games after being restricted to three points in its season-opening loss to Georgia. Even though the Seminoles lost ten players to the NFL draft, their 1-4 start following the ACC championship was not anticipated by anyone.
Pick: 45–26 for Clemson.
Baylor (+11 1/2) vs. 16th-ranked Iowa State
Unsettling match for the Cyclones? After close losses to Colorado and BYU, Baylor is looking to let out some displeasure. The defense of Iowa State, which has finished in the top three in the Big 12 for five years running, is currently at its finest.
Iowa State, 21-16, is the pick.
No. 21 Boise State at Utah State (minus 26 1/2)
Though it’s difficult to see Broncos star Ashton Jeanty surpassing his current stats, he could face the nation’s 115th-ranked run defense.
Pick: 55-10 for Boise State.
SMU (plus 7) against Louisville’s No. 22
Louisville lost last week to Notre Dame, turning the ball over three times in the first half of the game. SMU, an ACC newcomer, leads the country in takeaways with 14 and leads the league in defensive touchdowns with 4.
Louisville wins 35–31.
Indiana (minus 13 1/2) at No. 23 at Northwestern
The Hoosiers are up to their best start since 1967. They share the Big Ten lead with Ohio State with their 48.8 points per game. Northwestern is 17th out of 18 with 17.3 points per game.
Indiana 38-16 is the pick.
Syracuse versus UNLV, ranked No. 25 (minus 6 1/2).
Before Friday’s game, the Rebels had not finished worse than fourth place in the program’s history and were 4-0 for the first time since moving up to Division I in 1978. Transfer to Ohio State Although the Orange’s Kyle McCord throws for a nation-leading 365 yards per game, he has been intercepted twice in the last two games.
Select: UNLV 33–24.
Scorecard for AP Predictions
Previous week: 16–6 straight up; 9–13 against the spread.
Season: 86-23 straight up; 56-53 against the spread.
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This version changes the Baylor-Iowa State pick’s previous opponent from Utah to BYU.
